Sake

FEATURED ARTICLES ABOUT SAKE - PAGE 2

"One, two, three . . ." Facing a Sharpie-scrawled wall - draped with black flags that bear skulls and bones and plastered by profound bumper stickers ("Just a Pirate Chasing Booty") - people line up to meet their fate: Walk the Plank shots. Chrys Rocha, a bartender at the Pirate Republic bar, prepares the crowd for the shots (better known as sake bombs), instructing us to stand and clench our hands into fists. Then we pound them on the table and scream, "ARRRRRGGH!" before chugging the shots.

Re Weston Mayor Eric Hersh's comment in Sunday's article, "Governments evaluate tax options": "We're not going to lower rates for the sake of lowering rates." Mr. Mayor, why not lower rates for the sake of allowing our young families the opportunity to trade up without tripling their tax burden? Mr. Mayor, why not lower rates for the sake of allowing empty nesters to downsize without increasing their tax burden? Mr. Mayor, why not lower taxes for the sake of making Weston affordable for teachers, police, nurses and firefighters so that they may live in the city they serve?

Finally, America is exporting its revolution to the Arab world, one nation at a time. Today it is telling the Iraqis: "You are all created equal, regardless of race and creed. And you are all equally endowed with certain God-given unalienable rights, among which is the sanctity of life, liberty, human dignity and the pursuit of happiness. We are here to help you achieve the dream, if you work with us. I hope you will for your sake and for your children's sake." Maurice Massaad Pompano Beach

Mentors, tutors and individuals who want to work with foster care children are invited to the 4 Children's S.A.K.E. annual volunteer kickoff, 7 p.m. Monday at Deicke Auditorium, 5701 Cypress Road, Plantation. Prospective volunteers will be able to meet current volunteers and learn about the organization. For more information, call 954-975-9959.

It's about time someone took the fraud out of handicapped parking permits. South Florida is full of people using parking spaces for those who truly need them. Please, for the sake of those, start a campaign, a crackdown or something to stop this very obvious and blatant misuse of a valuable tool for the handicapped.

They're calling it sake, maki and roll sushi school. On the second Saturday of every month, the finer points of Japanese cuisine will be in the spotlight at China Grill (Hilton Fort Lauderdale Marina, 1881 SE 17th St., Fort Lauderdale, 954-759-9950, chinagrillmgt.com). Along with sake samples, students will receive instruction on making sushi and then dine on a meal of maki, sushi and tempura which students will help to prepare. The $59 class starts with information on how sake is made, its history and a tasting of five Ty-Ku premium sakes and liqueurs paired with signature selections from the restaurant, such as tuna tartar on wonton crisps and salmon crudo.